Butterflies in Honey (Growing Pains #3) Read Online Free PDF

sigh and fell silent.
    “You haven’t changed all that much. Well,
besides being large and in charge. But you always had that, just
not the clout to use it.” Krista expected Sean to laugh, but
neither of them thought things were all that funny.
    “How are you really, Krissy?” he asked
softly.
    Krista swallowed, tears coming to her eyes.
“I always loved when you called me that.”
    “I know.”
    She sighed silently, then answered his
question, “I’m lonely.”
    Sean turned to her in confusion. “But I
thought you had someone?”
    “I guess.”
    When she didn’t elaborate, he asked, “How
long have you been with him?”
    Krista was visibly uncomfortable talking
about it. Chet was a different life. He existed in a different
reality with a different Krista. Sean knew Krista Marshall. Chet
knew Krista Fields. The two people had similarities, but were
nowhere near the same. One had a past and a family and friends, and
even a crazy ex-boyfriend. The other was just a name and a job.
    “I’ve been seeing him for a year now.” She
hesitantly asked, “How about you?”
    Sean looked away from her. “Single.”
    Krista sighed. It was irrelevant to her life,
but it was still good to hear. “Did…ah, weren’t you seeing
someone?”
    Sean looked at her with a puzzled expression.
“No. Not since... I haven’t had the time since you left.” He took a
breath. “Am I still a part of the rumor mill?”
    “Well…not really. Um, Marcus had said that
Judy said you were rumored to have someone regular. But I haven’t
heard much about you or anything. I just wondered about it when I
heard we were coming here. So I asked.”
    “You wondered?”
    “You know… Yeah.”
    They lapsed into silence again. People were
leaving the dinner and getting into their cars. The party was
breaking up. It was time to go. The whole night Krista had waited
for the first available chance to leave, and now that it was at
hand she wanted to do anything but. She was terrified of walking
away and never seeing Sean again.
    “How long are you staying?” he asked.
    “In San Francisco?” He nodded. “A week. I
want to visit with Kate and Jasmine. I thought I might get up the
courage to surf Ocean Beach, as well.”
    “The sharks won’t get you. You have nothing
to worry about.”
    “I wasn’t worried about the sharks. It’s the
cold and the hippies that give me pause. I can’t figure out which
is worse.” Krista hugged her arms to her chest. It was cold. She
wasn’t used to it anymore.
    Sean laughed. “Equally as scary, yes.
Definitely. The surf is supposed to be big tomorrow. Would you like
my jacket?”
    It took Krista a minute to register the
question. When she did she immediately bobbed her head and said,
“Yes, please.” Having his jacket was a great way to stall.
    As she dove into his smell and his warmth,
she hugged the jacket close and put herself out there. “Maybe, um,
you could show me the ropes? I’m not used to the rip tides out this
way…” Her voice sounded strange and far away, even to her.
    He looked at her. She turned and met his
gaze. He was indecisive, Krista could tell that right away. But
there was something else. Something she couldn’t identify. She fell
into his eyes then, and was barely aware of her surroundings when
he nodded. “You have to get a wetsuit.”
    “I’ve already got one.” Krista needed to tone
down her excitement level. “I used the travel clerk. I told her a
very important businessman surfed instead of golfed and I was the
only one that could hang with him.”
    Sean chuckled, turning away. “I golf,
too.”
    “Oh well, don’t tell Cindi. She’s liable to
stop doing me favors.”
    Sean got serious again. “Okay. Best surf
tomorrow is early. Say seven?”
    “Don’t try to pull the punches, McAdams. I’ll
be at your house at six. I am well used to ungodly early hours
these days.” She paused a minute, then decided she got what she
wanted, and it was best to go before he